D'y ever wonder how much effort goes into thinking of these thread titles?

[curiositykilledhaskittens]

LOTS!

I hope thats not another one gone missing, I have lost 3 others this year. It was posted Frid, first class, its busy I know but thats naughty. On top of everything Harrys niece with 2yr old twins has just mailed me and wants to come down to visit on Frid, mid morn til mid afternoon, her parents arriv mid afternoon too..............agh feel I can`t cope................should I cancel everybody, or put on my Eleanor Rigby face again?? Love to see the twins though.....what to do, what to do? Feel like the white rabbit running around, except this is not wonderland, more like Stalag 13!

Our post doesn't arrive till about 1pm but I will let you know asap! xxx

Fingers x`d! I am off to bed, got dark circles under my eyes, first time since 1994. Kale Nits ma petite pois, sagapo xx

Kale Nits my lovely mucker xxxxx

Morning girls xx

Morning Shabs!

Trips, sounds like you have a lot going on - I think having visitors Fri morning and then more in the evening and to stay over is a lot! But if you really want to see them just go with the flow. Are B/SIL the sort to just muck in and help out or will they want looking after? Hope you feel better this morning anyway! Are we friends on FB - I have a few of the multiple mums on my FB but I am not sure who goes with which nickname! I find it a lot easier to 'chat' to people on here when I can picture their face

Hi ladies
Have been lurking for some time but not posting but am now feeling totally overwhelmed and in need of advice from you experienced mums of multiples.

I'm really struggling at the moment and now the babies are 7 months things seem to be getting harder again. I'm really trying to go with the just do the minimum you have to but with xmas and relocating in January I just can't seem to get on top of anything. As we are well underway with weaning I seem to spend most of my time in the kitchen cooking or trying to keep on top of the washing and was really upset the other day when I realised that apart from being fed the babies had had no cuddles/interaction from me until nearly lunch time .

I really want to make the most of the time with the children while they are small but don't know how you do this and all the day to day stuff. Dd1 who is 3 seems to be largely told off/nagged at etc by me and she's such a sweet little thing who spends hours entertaining herself.

I hate the fact that I'm grumpy/stressed/knackered mummy when looking after the children is what I've always wanted to do. Sorry rambling, just want to know how I can relax a bit and enjoy them.

Hi everybody, don't have time to read everything and reply properly, just popping in to say we are all alright, not been around because the babies have been ill and they are not properly better yet so may not be around for a while. Nothing serious - just a cold but it is making Lily colicky in the night. Other nasty symptoms - snuffly, sore throats, fussiness and sticky sore eyes, poor things

magnum - I found the weaning phase made everything more difficult again with my singletons too, just as you describe - you spend all your time in the kitchen cooking or doing washing. I had my two in the highchair in the kitchen with me while I was busy, I also made some meals in bulk in advance during the evening and froze them so I could spend more time with the children. The other thing that is great is finger food - as much as possible even if it is just to keep them entertained for a while in the highchair while you cook.

Oh and get the 3 year old to help with the housework - you spray the table/surfaces and she wipes them, you separate the washing and she puts it in the washing machine, she could put clean cutlery away, she could even sweep and mop floors with some training! My two love helping, I never make them, they think it is fun and makes them grown up!

Must dash, hope you feel better soon magnum. Sorry if my suggestions are stupid! Running on no sleep and my DTs are only 6 weeks!

Lily might be colicky and awake but little Dylan slept from 11 til 7.15 last night so when Lily's tummy is better hopefully I'll get almost a proper night's sleep!

magnummum are you pureeing or are you doing Baby Led Weaning? I ask because if you do BLW then you only have to cook once for everyone and you may find that helps.

You won't always be cross and grumpy. You will have lots of smiles, cuddles, kisses and love in. Remember the mantra

This too will pass...
This too will pass...

magnum..........your post could have been mine xxxxxx. And it was around this age (DTs 7mnths) that I found MN.

It broke my heart that I couldn't care for everyone the way I wanted to. I still can't. There is always someone that I wish I had a little more time for. Its like being in a whirlwind isn't it?

We moved twice in short succession and my DP worked/works away/long hours so, all in, I felt like I was moving a mountain daily and not knowing if I was going in the right direction.

Darling, this is normal. I have a DD1 too and, I also felt she was shoved to one side. One way I survived was to do things with her and one DT while the other DT queued. So, I would bath her and DT1 while DT2 lay and played/cried (a decent distance away so that baby didn't disturb us too much). I felt I could give decent attention to both of the children in the bath. Then DD1 would maybe watch TV or listen to a cd story while I swapped babies. Think of it as a queuing and rotation system instead of trying to keep all 3 happy at the one time.

Don't feel guilty about operating a queue, its a fairly fair way. And its your best.

Keep talking. Never lurk. Its unhealthy. xxxxxx

And cut corners like mad. Go for the easiest meals possible.....baked potatoes, eggs mashed in a cup with bread, macaroni and a green veg.....anything that needs tiny, tiny cooking. I did that for the kids and ate crap......I sacrificed my diet for my children.........yes, I ate crisps for dinner, fish fingers GALORE, and take away, lots of take away

Magnum, weaning is a crappy phase . But it will pass soon. Curio's tips are good I think. I found when mine 'moved on' to a new phase eg weaning, crawling, walking etc it was hard for a few weeks until I 'readjusted' iyswim, it is just about finding new ways to cope and get everything done! Don't worry too much about the attention you give them - as long as they know you love them that is all they need, and you will always do your best and that is all you can do!

Definitely only cook once a day. The babies can have what you have, either mashed or as finger food!! Or they can have the leftovers from the previous day!! It took me quite a while to realise this, and when i did I thought why the hell didn't I do this earlier!! It makes life SO MUCH EASIER!!!!!!

Definitely do as much finger food as possible, it's messy but much easier!

Thank you lovely ladies for your words of sense and encouragement.

Curiosity - hope yours are feeling better soon so you can all enjoy Christmas.

Mars - I haven't been doing BLW as I got on with Ms Karmel last time round and that was fine so felt I was in my comfort zone with a blender - hadn't banked on my little gannets having such huge appetites though so all the stuff that is supposed to be going in the freezer gets eaten in the first sitting! Think finger foods are the way to go - I have seen the light.

Frumpy - you raised a smile - I had fishfingers and chips for supper last night despite poaching fish for the babes at 6am the other day! DH also works away and I think I'm just feeling like insult has been added to injury by the fact that he's just been away for 2 nights on the trot with the 8th and 9th Christmas "work" dos too...

Neenz - you are so right about needing to constantly readjust and adapt to the latest stage that you are at - harder in practice when you're a reforming control freak like me . (clearly I'm having a lapse on that front at the moment ).

I came to the conclusion some time ago that nothing ie bottle/breast, pureeing/BLW etc, mobile babies non mobile babies is better or worse with twins, it's just different.

Have also had to almost bite my tongue off recently as a couple of people close to me have singleton babies and have come out with some really choice comments recently!

Anyway, rambling rambling. Thank you all again I feel so much better for having read your posts. About to bundle dd1 up and go out and make a snowman - just realised it isn't even light yet!

Morning girls - we have snow! [false cheer emoticon] OMG I have to get myself some Christmas spirit (and not the alcoholic kind) x

magnummum I ate so badly for at least 18 months after DTs were born, they are 6 now and I've only lost the weight this year

anyway, here's to the holidays!

Magnum, when i as weaning I used to make up food for three days in advance and pretty much just feed them that for three days, and then switch to something else. It meant I could keep the food in the fridge rather than freezing it and I was only really cooking once ever three days.

I used to steam a load of sweet potato (always a favourite of my DTs) and some veg and maybe poach some cod or boil some lentils and just throw it all in the blender. They also loved toast, rice cakes with soft cheese on, batons of cheese, Oatibix (always a fave supper option because it got more milk into them and gave them a full tummy ready for bed). Just try to keep it simple - you don't have to do the Annabel Karmel menu plan, just use some of the recipes . As long as they are getting a mix of veg, protein and some starchy carbs then they will be fine. Hope things start to get a bit easier for you soon!

I am tired! Got the kids in bed a bit early and thankfully DH got home from work to help with bath/bed which made it much easier. He is going out on a footie xmas do tonight so it is Gossip Girl and Ugly Betty for me

magmum - weaning is trying, when dts were 7 mths, ds1 was also 3 and I felt that I expected too much of him. He is now just 6, dts are 2.8 and ds3 10 mths and I expect even more. Poor thing, it is a juggle.

But compared to potty training, weaning is easy IME!!!!

Reporting in as I too am in need of some Xmas spirit. I have done a head count and we are expecting 20 for Xmas dinner. Looking around our living room I dont think we can fit them all in even if they are standing as the house is full of plastic crap (and that's before the big man arrives). I went to sainsbos yesterday and stood by the cream fridge trying to work out how much flavoured cream I should buy for everyone. In the end I had a 'sod it' moment and just bought a huge double cream. If they invite themselves along they will have to rough it wont they ? When I told my sis (who has offered to prep all the veg and bring it - the only one who has offered to do anything other than my neighbour is lending me her oven on the day) she said I was Bah Humbug. Cant win. [festive grump]

Aww, boys just finished their first term at school! It's flown by!! They'll be leaving home before I know it!

Morning girls xx

No sign of the parcel yet Trips will let you know as soon as it does arrive xx